Missing chickens!!!

I just put our first set of 6 weeks old chicks outside last night. We have them in a large fenced in lot, inside another 20X10 foot dog lot, with a cedar chip lined dog house (that they slept in last night) and a coop that we built for daytime fun.

I closed them up in the dog lot last night for so they would get used to being outside (and b/c the coop wasn't up and ready until this morning) and opened the lot this morning to let them run around in the grass. They preferred the dog lot (there are no dogs out there) so I left them alone.

SO was out there later tonight with the kids playing with the new chicks and I was napping with the babe on the couch. We woke up after dark and I asked SO if the chick were put back up in the dog lot and it seems the lot did not get locked back, thinking they would get in the coop instead.

So we head out with a light and cannot find those chicks anywhere. Good news is I saw no signs of a massacre, bad news is I saw no signs of anything. It's like the have vanished. We drove the neighborhood (we are on 1 acre in a neighborhood in the county) and of course, it's not like they were walking the streets and it seems they do not come when they are called.

What do I do? Will they be back tomorrow? If they do return, should I clip their wings? If they don't I guess I'll be getting some more. I'm so sad about this. All that work to get them to this size...all that poop, all that smell...all for nothing.

Your best odds are they found something to crawl under once it started getting dark. They will not move or make a sound while it is dark. Chickens instinctively know that attracts attention. Best to wait until morning to look for them.

I do hope your little ones are back. But, I did notice you said you had cedar chips in there for them. Thats Toxic for them! Cedar is bad bad bad. Regular pine shaveings is what you might want to change to. Let us know where you found them this morning!

hope the best for you butt!!
I had the same problem 3 weeks ago
I just moved up here in S.C. from FLa.
this january out in the country and started me a little coop going, it was 7 feet tall so I didn't think anything could get to them even the foxes I seen at 3am the week before ( they were driving the dogs crazy so I had to get up and see) but anyway
I had 6 chicks about 5 weeks old and 3 ducklings turn up missing, so the next night I put them all in the brooder cage and hooked up a security camera faceing the brooder I got from Wal-Mart I had night vision and hooked to the tv and waited and shure enouth around 10.30pm
the biggest Owl I ever seen landed right on the side of the brooder wire try to get them
them turned it head I landed on one of the post that held the fence around the pen waiting for one to wounder out again.
so I got my rifle and poped him, and never had anouther problem, but I made shure they were put up before I got the top put on.
don't know if this is your problem but sound like it...

You know it's against Federal law to kill owls. You can spend time in jail for it AND have to repay the Government for the loss of their property. And if you think they're not watching, think again. I suggest YOU watch it, spreading that around. It's best to just keep your chickens confined, or figure out deterrent methods.

sorry chickmania didn't mean to upset you
just seemed the right thing to do at the time
after all my lose.
sorry if I upset any other owl lovers
guess theres no need for me to post anything else on this site if it upsets people
that why..........

There are laws against taking out raptors for the reason that people won't just use them as target practice. Even though you did do wrong, LouManChu, you did protect your animals.
Chicknmania is correct that big brother is watching, especially these days.
There's no need for anyone's feathers to get into a knot, we just try to watch out for each other.
Back to the cedar: Cedar smells nice and repels fleas, but it can irritate the respiratory systems of animals. If you mix it in with pine or other shavings, that cuts down the aroma and makes it safer for the critters. I used cedar chips mixed with shredded newspaper in the coop and they were fine.

thanks spottedcrow
I didn't hit him anyway he was on a post between me and the brooder where all the babys was and it was 10:30 at night I couldn't hit it if I wanted to, I shot into the air above the pen and he flew off the next day I finished the top, putting a top on a 16x30 foot pen by your self wasn't easy,
is pine shaveings good for new chicks I took it out becuase it was turning the water yellow when the chicks scratched it in there?